Wirelock

Airbus AMM's certainly have inspections for suspected contamination by volcanic ash.

Try Chap 05-51.

Dave

German scientists plan to conduct a test flight on Monday to gain the first reliable data for the flight ban imposed on German airspace in the wake of fierce criticism of the ban by major European airlines.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) said an atmospheric research plane will fly to a height of 10,000 meters (32,800 feet) to measure the concentration of volcanic ash particles in the air.

The Dassault Falcon 20 jet, staffed with experienced test pilots capable of handling extreme flying conditions, will take off as soon as it gets clearance, and the data it gains will be examined as quickly as possible to help the Germany's air traffic control and the meteorological service to assess the need for continuing the flight ban, a DLR spokesman said.

Eyjafjallajökull Chaos Blog: German Scientists to Measure Concentration of Volcanic Ash in Air - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

Some better news on the latest VAAC charts:

http://metoffice.com/aviation/vaac/d...1271676889.png

Issued 1234.

'Eruption has virtually ceased with only small amounts of ash up to FL060'

UKMO surface charts out to T+120, looks like a northerly airstream should pull down some clean polar air for a few days at least:

Metbrief - Met Office Analysis and Synoptic Weather Forecast Charts via Wetterzentrale

Breaking news reports of NATO (Belgium?) F16 (s) suffering fusing of ash inside turbines while overflying Europe

Ferry anyone

Hi Whipper. Yeah fair comment, the RAF is under funded and stretched. But where does their funding come from. How many billions will be lost in tax collections over this period. I am sure they can risk a couple of Tornado engines. And its only that, a risk, its not certain that they would go up and wreck some engines. I have not caught up with other posts, but before someone has a go for risking a RAF pilots life......they are big boys and gals, when they signed on the knew they would be doing dangerous things. Trust me the nations finest take much bigger risks in Afganistan on a daily basis than what they would face on a jolly over Scotland.

Hi

I am a layman, simply interested in this news. I get my kicks on Flight Simulator!

Obviously my heart goes out to all air personnel affected by this indefinite problem.

Anyway, all I wanted to say is that, even if the ash dispersed NOW, no-one seems to have thought about the dust accumulation on runways/aprons etc, which will surely get hoovered into the engines?

Also the dust resting on parked-up aircraft?

No Special VFR Traffic allowed in Class A?!
 

On what grounds is all traffic excluded from Class A. No Special VFR to cross Class A around Heathrow. Not safety as they allow GA over Gatwick, Luton and Stansted. (I Know it's Class D)

Controllers must be very bored!!

Is this a bureaucratic anomaly? I understand Class A is IFR rule - but - No Special VFR or Helicopter Flights?!

:ugh:

And you have to admit that the record of this government is not good when it comes to BIG decisions.

Mad Cow, CJD - five deaths, we're all going to die, run for the hills.

Bird flu - one death in Hong Kong, we're all going to die, run for the hills.

Foot and Mouth - three people have mouth ulcers - burn them, burn them all, burn every cow in the land (and preferably the farmers too, 'cos they vote Tory anyway).

Swine flu - someone has a snivel, we're all going to die, run for the hills. Order 300 million Tamiflus and 500 million vaccines (from my mate's pharmaceutical company, of course).

Economy overheating - what's the problem? This is normal growth.

Global Warming - arrgghh, let's close down all UK industry, just in case. Yeah, yeah, so this is the coldest winter in 30 years, Arctic ice is recovering and Antarctic ice is at is highest ever extent - but we have to be cautious.

Economy crashing - it was the American's fault, selling houses to poor people.


Gordon make a rational decision? Not likely.

Wirelock,

Not sure who you work for and on what types but our AMM's have ash encounter inspection procedures listed clearly in Chapter 05??

over reaction
 

When Mnt St Helens erupted, the ash went around the globe and affected the weather for 2 years but there were not similar restrictions. I understand the BA 747 Flight 9 flew into a thick cloud of ash – rather than the diluted CAVOK conditions we have today.

If 1ppm (or whatever) is enough to shut down all airspace, then the situation will continue for months or a year – because that ash will remain in the northern hemisphere.

Volcanos have erupted before and this action has not been taken before. I am unaware of any incidents except of those flying directly into dense cloud.

It is getting ridiculous. Airfreight is not moving. Airlines will go bust. People will lose their jobs. People will go bankrupt as their bank balances & credit card credit disappears and up to 1 million people will not be able to vote in the election.

Seems to me that commonsense is finally making ground.

In order to save loss of face, a compromise might come with a change of wind direction on Thursday.

Amm Ch 5
 

Well done Dave bang on, any news on SIL's from the OEM's regarding inspections pre and post flight?

That latest vaac chart is looking very good. Flying to resume by midday tomorrow hopefully:ok:

The Simple Solution
 

Listen folks, I have the solution.........

All the private pilots are still flying in PISTON engined aeroplanes, so come on Air Atlantique, get them out, let's get back to nostalgia and start operating all the old piston engined airliners :ok::ok::E

Mate, I've never seen my airline's private forum so active!

@ ifly:

There are considerations beyond the freedom of GA to take advantage of the quiet skies.

These may well include public order issues, such as the risk of frustrated travellers rioting if they see someone else flying. No, they don't know the difference between GA and commercial aviation and acromyms such as "VFR" mean nothing to them. Think of it as like wartime rationing: the decision has to be seen to be fair, even to those with warped perception.

posting times????
 

Why is the timestamp on one post - 1540 - 13:04
and the next one, on 1541 05:04?

Show me the dust. There is no dust. Only pollen. And that's bad enough for some.:ok:

edit: someone corrected me saying that there was some dust recorded somewhere in the UK. Oh well. I guess the crops will fail now, which is much worse than engines sucking up what's left.

Jim French of FLYBE on BBC breakfast tv/radio and DC8 ash damage pics
 

Jim French head of Flybe was interviewed this morning on BBC breakfast
tv and radio 5...

he said that pilots can see ash on their weather radar...really?
since when>?

mods can put this thread in jet blast if they see fit...

i think he is wrong about saying aircraft radar can see the ash clouds...the radar usually cannot.
normal clouds are made up of moisture which can be seen on weather radar.
that's the reason why NATS have stopped all flights.

the ash cannot be seen by a/c radar. and this ash is so difficult to see and is at different flight levels.
for he and other airlines, whilst i can sympathize with the financial losses incurred to all by the 'no-fly' i am amazed that he made these
comments to the general public. it's rather misleading and i think dubious and maybe careless.

BA009 20 years ago with their weather radar were unable to see any ash clouds over Java and lost all 4 engines.
Capt. Eric Moody said this only the other day and stated how dangerous the unseen threat can be,
Jim French maybe panicking about his cash flow but he is rather silly to tell the public this ban should
be relooked at too hastily and decisions to lift the travel ban made by bodies who bow to commercial pressure.

see here for some damage to a DC8 flying into ash 900 miles away from ash clouds
http://www.alpa.org/portals/alpa/vol...8AshDamage.pdf
VOlcanic Ash Gives Jet Engine a Turbocharge : Discovery News

Listening to Adonis on Radion 4 - seems to be some back-tracking and damage limitation (of the completely over the top knee jerk reaction) going on.

My opinion - unscientific as it is - (but it would appear no more unscientific than the 'authorities' one), is that the bird that flew over my house this morning constitutes a far greater hazard to aviation than the tiny concentration of ash particulates in the same sky. Don't know why MODs deleted my post putting that point across?

Feel free to prove that I'm wrong